Agenda - 11-09-2005-1 - Laserfiche WebLink

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dispatch consoles and to procure a small number of portable 800 MHZ radios. The Orange County portion was to be $1,014,870 in federal grant funding and $338,290 in a required 25% local match for a total project budget of $1,353,160, Due to the short turn around time for the grant and the fact that notification of the grant availability occurred during the BOCC summer break, staff requested, and the Board acted to, ratify the grant application at the Board meeting on August 16, 2005.. The County has received notification that the grant was awarded in this highly competitive process -one of 25 awards made nationally out of approximately 138 candidates, including Raleigh and Greensboro, This funding, along with several grants previously received, will permit the County to completely replace its antiquated consoles with new, state-of-the-art, 800Mhz compatible equipment, As proposed in the August 2005 Board action, staff recommends that the County provide its matching funds through an appropriation of fund balance in the Emergency Telephone System Fund (accumulated proceeds from the 50 cent monthly 9-1-1 telephone subscriber surcharges). A capital project ordinance to budget for the console replacements will be brought back for BOCC adoption in the near future, Staff will also provide the Board with a review of the funding and implementation status of the 800 Mhz VIPER system upgrade, and a recap of all Homeland Security-related grant funds (see attached spreadsheet) secured and solicited by staff during the past few years. Emergency Management Quick Reference Card During an October 2005 work session, the BOCC discussed with staff requested enhancements and updates to the County's emergency planning efforts, including the preparation of a quick reference card to be made available to Orange County residents to provide the most essential information about preparing for and sustaining them and their families during natural or manmade disasters, Staff will provide an update on ongoing planning efforts, and requests Board feedback regarding distribution of the attached quick reference card, A draft Options for Emergency Card Distribution has been provided for initial reference. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with discussion of these topics, The Board will need to take several future actions to approve contracts or appropriate grant funding, as outlined above, RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the emergency management topics mentioned above and provide appropriate direction to the Manager and staff.